Carbrea Vineyard Blog

After a long and chilly winter we are slowly coming alive here on Hornby Island with spring in evidence everywhere. The early spring blossoms are gracing us with their beauty and their scent, the daffodils are bobbing their brilliant yellow heads and the grass is suddenly growing like crazy. Stephen has mowed once already giving the vineyard a refined look. Bud break is still way off and we need some serious warm days to get things moving. Yesterday, April 2nd, was absolutely gorgeous and we worked outside in t-shirts. Of course everything is behind as it has been a cool and wet spring.

The winery has been incubating some lovely wines. The reds are waiting for labels, just chillin’ in the bottle. They are the 2009 vintage harvested after a lovely, long, hot summer giving us sweet fruit that makes wine making a pleasure. Last years reds were a lot more challenging as the summer was lovely but short! We sourced some sweet, ripe Okanagon Pinot Gris which we mixed with our own fruit. The combination is lovely. We did some bench tests today and after several tastings came to a unanimous decision on the right combination to send to the bottling line. The Pinot Gris is nicely balanced and fruit forward with hints of pear and apple.  Our Gewurztraminer is, as always, delicious, with all the properties that make this varietal so yummy; lychee, rose and light citrus.

Lots of availabilty in Carbrea Cottage for the summer months! We have openings starting in May right through September. Email us at carbrea@telus.net for more information!

Our 07 Pinot Gris is a truly lovely, summertime sipping white.  An  aroma of citrus, green apple and melon complimented by pear and nectarine on the pallet.  Pair with fresh seafood; spot prawns, salmon, oysters.

SOLD OUT!  The 07 Gewurztraminer in a medum to full bodied wine with a creamy finish.  Citrus, lemon, honey and nutmeg on the nose and hints of orange, apricot and rose on the pallet.  Enjoy with spicy Asian dishes with black bean and garlic.

The following prevents Carbrea from selling their wines to Sea Breeze Lodge, a separate family business on Hornby Island……

Tied houses
A licensee retail store may not operate as a “tied house.” A tied house is an establishment that has an association - financial or otherwise - with a liquor manufacturer or its agent, that is likely to lead to its products being favoured. That means you must not agree to sell only one manufacturer’s products in your store, or to promote a particular product because of your association with a particular liquor manufacturer or agent. (You are similarly prohibited from having an association, financial or otherwise, with a UBrew/UVin.)

Further to our meeting on June 15, 2007 with yourself and Karen Ayers; Assistant and Deputy Minister and General Manager, Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, it is important to reinforce my concerns about the tied house provisions within the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, as the new Legislative Session is now underway. As discussed, this proviso has a negative impact on my business, Carbrea Vineyard and Winery, as well as my family business, Sea Breeze Lodge Ltd.

Therefore, it was suggested at the time, that the legislation was potentially going to be revised and changes in 2008 could be brought forth and that it was in our interests to continue to enlighten the BC Government and stakeholders about this archaic regulatory framework. The legal right to sell Carbrea products at Sea Breeze could change and impact our businesses very favourably. In this era of sustainable farming, agri-tourism, carbon footprints and shopping locally, it is unthinkable that my family business cannot list our wine. Requests from clients at Sea Breeze for our wine occur MANY TIMES A DAY. Plans to host 100 mile concept dinners, an annual wine festival and wine pairing dinners, which would be inclusive of many Hornby Island products and businesses, are on hold.

Creating and sustaining a living on Hornby Island is already difficult, given its short tourism season, ferry prices and the tied house rule is an added economic detriment, not only to Carbrea but local businesses also. My primary objective is to merely market and distribute Carbrea wines in an open and transparent manner, alongside other products at our family operated, 15 cottage resort, Sea Breeze Lodge.

Once again, the tied house regulation is archaic and unreasonable. While I appreciate the history and intent of the legislation regarding bigger-players, the economy of the sector has evolved. In the spirit of complying to the general idea of the tied house, that being “exclusivity”, why can’t there be a provision for a percentage factor on the licensee’s wine list? In fact, why not regulate how much BC wine has to appear on BC wine lists? Perhaps, due to the isolation factor of living and running a business on Hornby Island, a solution/provision could be made to that effect and be exclusive to our businesses (as well as any other businesses that have similar isolation factors).

Where do we go from here? What legislative/regulatory proposals are being considered to address the nuances of Carbrea Vineyard’s situation and other stakeholders?

As our MLA and Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, I suspect you can appreciate the cross-government context of our issue. Furthermore, the scope and intent of Carbrea Wines’ niche vineyard, the “tied house” provision, in this instance, could be characterized as a barrier to the tourism economy and an impediment to small business.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could advise me of the status of this issue and if in fact, a logical, practical solution is being considered or worked upon, which addresses our issue. Thank you in advance for your time and interest on this important matter.

Sincerely,
Stephen Bishop
CARBREA VINEYARD & WINERY

cc:

Karen Ayers - Assistant Deputy Minister and General Manager Liquor Control and Licensing Branch
Honourable John van Dongen - Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations
Honourable John Les - Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Honourable Rick Thorpe - Minister of Small Business and Revenue and Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform